


Concrete Angel

by shadowNova



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Animal Abuse, Child Abuse, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, I make no promises, Kid Fic, Kidstuck, Pet Abuse, Petstuck, School, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2016-04-29
Packaged: 2017-11-27 19:50:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/665790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowNova/pseuds/shadowNova
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Vriska is the pet of one Doc Scratch, and struggles through confusion and a desire to make him proud, and no one notices.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. She Walks To School With The Lunch She Packed...

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Loophole](https://archiveofourown.org/works/527502) by [saccharineSylph](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saccharineSylph/pseuds/saccharineSylph). 
  * Inspired by [Unwanted Free Ugly Troll](https://archiveofourown.org/works/477092) by [orphan_account](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account). 



> Yes, yes, another Petstuck fic. This one doesn't tie into my other fic- or at least, probably won't, seeing as it takes place when John and Jade are kids. Please don't kill me for being mean to Vriska, eeep!

"You'll be good for the trainers, right, Vriska?" Vriska tore her eyes away from the brick building, looking up to her master, before quickly dropping her gaze when his grip on her arm tightened painfully. "Yes sir." He patted her head, releasing her arm. "Good girl. Go on inside. I better not hear a word of misbehaivor from your teachers." "Yes sir." Vriska waited until she was a few feet away, before rolling her eyes. Of course she'd be good! She was the best troll _ever_ , after all. Her master had made sure of that. She wrapped her tail around her lunch bag, then around herself, hurrying up to the building. Vriska paused for just a moment, looking over her shoulder nervously. Her master had already driven off, and she bit her lip, taking a deep breath before slipping into the building.

 

Recent laws demanded that all trolls, pets or not, be enrolled in school at least from Pre-K to the end of Kindergarten, whether their owners wanted to enroll them or not. Up until a week ago, Vriska had been enrolled in a trolls-only school, but after an incident where one of the highblooded trolls went crazy and started killing other trolls, Vriska's master had withdrawn her, instead enrolling her in Sandy Palms elementary, a school that taught both trolls and humans alike.

 

Vriska slipped into the office, walking up to the counter with her head held high. The secretary looked to her boredly. "Yes?" Vriska puffed up a little, trying to look imposing. "I'm Vriska Serket! Today's my first day, an' I'm gonna be the _bestest_!" "Uh-huh. Room 240." The woman returned to reading her magazine, leaving Vriska blinking dumbly for a moment, before turning on her heel with a small hmph, walking out. It was only when she got several feet down the hallway that she stopped, looking around lostly at the symbols next to the doors that she couldn't read. She stood there for a moment, before a teacher spotted her, walking over. "Is everything okay?" The elderly woman asked, not unkindly, kneeling down to look Vriska in the eyes. She had bright-blue eyes, and dark hair sprinkled with strands of grey. "Are you lost?" She asked after a moment, when Vriska didn't answer. The little troll nodded, tail wrapping even tighter around her lunch. The old lady smiled kindly, holding out a hand to Vriska. "What room are you in?" "Ahm... Two-fourty?" Vriska offered, reaching to take the hand. "That's my classroom, you must be the new student. Come along."

 

The lady led her into a large classroom, decorated in pastels. There were piles of blankets, pillows, whatever- Vriska saw one made of puppets- and in the middle of the room was a large, circular rug with the alphabet around the edges. It was evident that class had yet to begin, as the students- humans and trolls alike- were moving about the room. One troll with nubby horns was settled in the corner, glaring at everyone. Two buck-toothed, black haired kids sat on the rug, laughing as they talked to each other, and nearby, a girl with short, pale blond hair and magenta eyes sat in her desk, watching. Vriska gulped a little, looking around, before putting on a confident mask. Her master would be disappointed, after all, if she showed weakness, and she wanted to make him proud! Right? ...Right.

 

The morning bell rang, and Vriska watched as the other students hurried to the rug in the middle of the room, sitting around the edges. She hung back, confused, as the teacher walked into the middle of the rug. "Good morning, students!" "Good morning Nanna Crocker!" The students called back, giggling. Nanna Crocker smiled. "We have a new student today, class. Miss Serket, come over here, please?" Nanna Crocker looked overt to Vriska, who walked over with confidence she didn't feel. "Would you mind telling us about yourself?" Vriska looked at her new classmates, her fangs digging into her lip. She took a breath, forcing confidence into her voice. "I'm Vriska Serket, ny owner's name is Docter Scratch, an' he says I'm the beeeeeeeest troll eeeeveeeer!" She drew the vowels out purposefully, pointy ears perking up. One troll, with two horns, spoke up, lisping a little. "What'th with your eye? You've only got one!" Vriska's tail tightened around her waist a little, and she hurried to come up with an excuse. Scratch would be *angry* if she told the truth, right? Right. "I'ma pirate! An' I'm the beeeeeeeest pirate, too!" She grinned, showing fangs, while Nanna Crocker smiled at her. "Vriska, you'll be partners with Karkat for now. Karkat, raise your hand so Vriska can see you, there we go. You'll be in charge of helping her learn the routines, okay?" The grumbly nubby-horned troll shrugged as Vriska went to sit by him, nodding a little in hello. "How about we all introduce ourselves, hm?"

 

For the next five minutes, Nanna Crocker went around the circle, introducing everyone. Vriska learned the names of all the humans and trolls- the two derp twins were Nanna Crocker's grandchildren, John and Jade, the pink-eyed girl who looked like she could see right through all of Vriska's defenses was Rose, and her brother, the cool-kid, was Dave. Vriska paid less attention to the names of her fellow trolls, focusing instead on Rose, who's eyes kept going to Vriska's arm. Vriska fidgetted a little, tugging at her lacy sleeves to make sure they covered the bruises that were forming. For some reason, she felt like Rose _knew_. Not, of course, that there was anything _to_ know. So Scratch had gripped her a bit too hard, so what? Whatever.

 

Vriska jolted out of her thoughts when someone poked her side. "Hey. New girl." Vriska looked to Mister Nubby-Horns. "We're about to sing the Alphabet, you gotta sing along." Vriska blinked. "...How?" He looked at her dumbfounded, then just rolled his eyes. "Just, uh, follow along. You'll get it." Vriska sat there quietly for a moment as everyone started singing, eventually joining in, stumbling over the letters a little, blushing blue. "-s-t-u-v-w-x-y-and-Z!" Vriska smiled confidently when they finished the song, more-so when Nanna Crocker scartched behind her horns.

 

At lunch, Vriska waited to see what everyone else did first before choosing somewhere to sit. The twins were once again seated on the rug, trading bits of food between themselves. Everyone else seemed to have already established groups, and after a moment, Vriska moved to the group of desks in the corner, rearranging the chairs before crawling under the desk to eat her lunch. Only a few minutes had passed before she heard a soft sound, looking up to see Rose having crawled under to join her. "May I eat with you?" The little girl asked, enunciating more clearly than anyone would expect of a Pre-K student. "........Sure!" Vriska scooted over, looking to the human girl, who simply sat down next to her, elegantly. "Soooooooo... What happens after lunch?" Rose looked at her, smiling. "Playtime. Then nap time, an' after that Nanna Crocker reads to us." Vriska tilted her head. "How come everyone calls her Nanna Crocker?" She blinked her one remaining eye, fiddling with her tail. "Oh. That's Jade's fault, she's the twin's grandmother, and they decided to call her Nanna instead of Misses Crocker. Then everyone started calling her Nanna Crocker, and it stuck." Vriska 'hmm'ed a little, loooking round, before changing the subject. "You're pretty cool. Wanna play pirates with me, later?" The other girl blinked, then smiled. "Sure, I think I'd like that. Would you mind if my brother joined in, if he's not busy pretending to be cool?" Coolkid... Coolkid... "Dave?" Rose nodded. "We're fraternal twins. We've got another brother, Dirk, he's in highschool." Rose smiled proudly. Vriska looked at her in awe. "That's cooooooool! Do you have a sister, too?" Rose nodded again. "Yup. Her name's Roxy, she's in college. Maybe you can come over this weekend, and meet her?" Vriska's eye widened- no one had invited her over before. Her tail tightened around herself a little, as she wondered what Scratch would say. Still... "That'd be aaaaaaaawesome! Think your parents would say yes?" Rose nodded. "What about your owner?" Vriska shrugged. To be truthful, she had no intention of telling him. Surely, if he saw how sneaky she could be, he'd be proud of her! Right? Right. "Dunno. Maybe!"

 

Vriska opened her lunch bag, pulling out what she had. It wasn't much, she'd packed it herself- half of her sandwhich last night, which she hadn't had a chance to finish, some carrot sticks she'd snuck from the fridge, knowing Scratch wouldn't notice them, her water bottle- blue, with eight spiders on it- and an apple that she'd also snuck from the fridge. She glanced over to Roses lunch, feeling a pang of jealousy. The other girl had a chocolate cookie, a whole sandwhich, with cheese, some crackers, and a juice bottle. To Vriska's surpise, though, the other girl grimaced, looking at the lunch. "Wanna split our lunches?" she offered, looking to Vriska. "That way we'll both have some stuff we like." "Sure!" The two split their food as evenly as Pre-K students could manage, even the sandwhiches. They grinned at each other sneakily, before digging into their lunches.

 

During playtime, Rose helped Vriska use the desks and chairs to make a makeshift pirate ship, laughing along with the little troll. From the front of the room, Jane Crocker smiled, glad to see the two getting along. To be honest, she'd been somewhat worried about the little girl- Rose never really had gotten along with other students. When other girls would be playing house, or doctor, she'd be pretending to be a phycologist- and even now, she was _good_ at it. Jane was honestly kind of glad that miss Ladonde was looking out for the little girl. If anyone would spot a problem with her, it would be Rose, Jane was sure. For now, though, she was glad to see Vriska making friends- even managing to draw Dave and the twins into her game, laughing along with them. It was nice, to see all of her children getting along.

* * *

Eventually, as everyone knows, all good things must come to an end, and school is no exception. Vriska watched as the other students, one by one, were picked up by their parents or owners, until she was the only one left, standing with Nanna Crocker. Nanna looked down at her. "Do you know when your owner is coming to get you, dear?" Vriska shrugged. "He'll be here. I don't care if he's late." Lie. Biiiiiiiig lie. Not that Vriska would _admit_ it, of course. Why would she? It's not like she cared about him, she just wanted him to be proud of her. She fiddled with the necklace they'd made for her that morning, glancing at it. When Rose had told her that Vriska had six letters, Vriska added a spider on to either end of her name.

 

Five minutes passed, then ten, then twenty. After half an hour had passed, with no sign of Scratch, Nanna was about to go inside to call him when Vriska ssaw the green Ford pulling up. "I see him!" she announced, tail wagging as Scratch got out of  the car. "I'm very sorry I'm late, Mrs. Crocler. There were unexpected-" here he looked at Vriska, sharply- "Complications." Vriska's mind raced. What had she done this time? He couldn't have found out about the carrots, and even if he did, it wouldn't have made him so late. Unless that was part of her punishment? Oh no, it must be! She'd disappointed him again. "You should be apologizing to this sweet little girl here, not me, Mister Scratch. She's been worried sick! She was very excited to tell you about her accomplishments today, you know." Vriska looked up, preening a little, hoping that praise from Nanna Crocker would lessen her punishment. Scartch cleared his throat. "Yes. Well. Come along, Vriska." He gripped her arm tighter then was strictly neccesary, and she winced. Nope. Evidently praise wouldn't help her this time.

 

Scratch hardly waited until they were out of sight of the school before hitting the back of her head. "You didn't tell me classes here ended earlier than they did at the other school." Vriska cringed, biting her tongue to hold back a futile protest- _But I didn't KNOW!-_ and meekly said, "I'm sorry sir. It won't happen again, sir. I'll do better." Darn! And she has so wanted to make him proud! He looked her over coldly. "Yes, well. Just in case, you'll have another lesson today, to remind you of your place." Vriska nodded meekly, biting her lip as they drove home, immediatly being locked in the basement until her 'teacher' could arrive.

 

Vriska wondered who it would be today, hoping it would be Duece. Duece was nicer than the others, he didn't really seem to like violence. The worst he'd do was make her eat something yucky- he couldn't even do insults very well. She looked up when she heard the door opening, and sighed. Nope. Droogs today, it seemed. Oh well, he still wasn't too bad. She was just glad it wasn't Slick. Slick was the _worst_ , even more then Snowman. Though, honestly, Vriska kinda liked Snowman, when they weren't doing lessons. Vriska sustained herself with thoughts of the weekend throughout her punishment, curling up in her pile of pillows when it was over, blue tears running down her cheeks. She borrowed her head into the pile, willing sleep to come.

 

Mercifully, it did.


	2. Nobody Knows What She's Holding Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry it took me so long to update this! I promise to update MUCH more often from now on.

The next day was Friday, and Vriska was dropped ooff with a note saying she was to take the bus home- Scratch had a patient today, it seemed. Vriska smiled widely, tail flicking as she went into the classroom early. There weren't a lot of students that had arrived yet- just Rose and Dave. While Rose seemed to be reading- a thin picture book, though Vriska couldn't see the title from where she was- Dave was near the door, waiting to intercept her.  
"Hey spider-girl. Your folks say yes to you staying the weekend?" Vriska nodded, despite the fact that she hadn't even mentioned it to Scratch. "Yeah, he said I could go home with you guys today. He'd drive me, but he's got an a-pent-ment later." Dave nodded at this, and they started talking about irrelevant things.  
  
  
In her corner, Rose watched the pair over they edge of her book. Dave was distracting the troll, just as she'd asked, giving Rose time to look at her. She'd noticed, yesterday, faint bruises on the girl's arms. That, combined with her hesitance whenever someone mentioned her home life, was enough to make Rose suspicious.  
Rose knew what abuse was, of course. She'd read lots of psychology books- any that she could get her hands on. But she wasn't sure- so this weekend would be useful. She looked the other girl over, and sighed. She simply couldn't tell- if there -were- any injuries, they must have been hidden under the dress the other girl wore. She closed the book she was reading- a child's version of the Lovecraftian horrors, one Roxy had bought for her a few months back- and stood to go join the other two.  
  
  
Mister Nubby-horns- Karkat, Vriska reminded herself- was the next to arrive. He walked right on over to the group, looking rather grumpy- as well as still half asleep. "Mngfle mttr," he spoke, his words coming out all muddled. "...Huh?" Vriska tilted her head, and Karkat yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Said good-morning, dummy. Not that there's 'nything good 'bout it." He yawned again, his red tipped tail dragging on the ground. Beside her, Rose giggled. "Nooo, Karkat, you -meant- to say good morning, but what you -did- say wasn't English." "Whatever. Anyway, wanted to help you with the alphabet a little, Vriska." Vriska blinked. He was -offering- to help her? Weird.  
"Why?" She tilted her head, flicking a pointed ear. "'cause. Nanna Crocker said we're partners, so that means I needa help you, see?" Vriska nodded slowly- that made more sense. "Okay. Where do we start?" They sat on the rug, not noticing Dave and Rose splitting off to talk privately.  
  
  
'Well?' Dave crossed his arms, looking at his twin. 'What do you think?' The mental connection between them, as far as the two were concerned, had always been there. As babies, when Rose got sick, it was Dave that cried loud enough for their mother to hear them. And later, when Dave fell and hurt his knee while Rose was inside, she'd been out in just a minute with a bandage.  
'I'm not sure yet. I'll ask Mommy to help me watch her when we go home. What do -you- think?' Rose tilted her head, looking at Dave. He shrugged.  'No clue. Seemed a little off, I guess.'  
  
  
Soon enough, it was time for class to start. It wasn't terribly complicated- the kind of stuff that any pre-school does. Come lunch time, though, Rose and Vriska had a visitor in their under-the-table lair.  
"Excuse me... May I sit with mew, purrlease?" An olive-blooded troll, with horns that looked like cat ears, crouched in front of the desks. Vriska glanced at Rose, who shrugged. "Sure." Vriska watched the other girl crawl under the table, trying to remember her name. Fortunatley, she didn't have to. "I'm Nepeta. I'm a mighty lioness!" The little troll grinned, showing off her sharp little teeth. "Cooooooool! I'm Vriska, the bestest pirate." Rose giggled. "And I'm Rose the see- siy- head docter." She grinned at the other two. They talked throughout lunch, and during playtime, they played a game that somehow combined lions, psychiatrists, DJ's, and pirates.  
It was only after school, as Rose's mom was driving them home, that Vriska started to feel nervous. Sure, she'd been away from home before- when Scratch had loaned her out to a friend, or when she had to stay at the office- but Scratch -always- knew where she was. She knew he would be mad when he found out that she hadn't come home- but it was too late to turn back now.  
"So, Rose says your name is Vriska, right?" Rose's mother, a blond woman with a striped scarf. asked as they drove. "Yes ma'am," Vriska replied, uncharacteristically subdued. Rose surely noticed this, though she said nothing about it. "She's -cool-, Mommy. I'm the DJ for her pirate ship!" Dave proudly declared this as they turned a corner, into a gated neighborhood. Vriska stared, mouth dropping open. "Woooooooow..." she whispered under her breath. The houses were angular, all at least two stories. It was intimidatingly fancy. Dave smirked at her a little as the car parked, and Rose whacked his arm. "Mo-ommy, Dave's being smug!" The woman sighed. "David, behave." Dave huffed. "Fiiine."  
Rose rolled her eyes, unbuckling her seatbelt and opening the car door. "Come on, Vriska. We can hang out up in my room 'till Roxy gets here." Vriska nodded and followed her friend inside. Just inside, however, they were intercepted by a teenager with anime shades and blond hair- the elder brother, apparently. "Hey Rosemary. Who's the troll?" He ruffled Rose's hair, illiciting an annoyed sigh. "It's -Rose-, Dirk. An' she's Vriska. She's staying the weekend." Vriska edged behind Rose a little, looking at the teen nervously. "Huh." Rose rolled her eyes again, grabbing Vriska's hand and tugging her towards the stairs.  
  
"He's not gonna hurt you, you know." Vriska looked up sharply at Rose. "Huh?" Rose perched on her bed, leaning against the wall. "Dirk. He won't hurt you. I saw, you looked scared of him." Vriska huffed. "I wasn't -scared-," she mumbled. "He's jus'... Big. That's all." Rose giggled. "Uh-huh. Wanna color with me?" Vriska shrugged, and Rose pulled out a coloring book. "Bet I've gotta pirate in here," Rose offered inticingly, causing Vriska to perk up brightly. "Cool!"  
The two sat on the bed, coloring until five o'clock, when a door opening and slamming closed was heard. "Rooooose! I'm hooooome!" A perky, cheery voice rang through the house, announcing the arrival of Roxy. Vriska tensed, feeling a trap closing around her, though she wasn't sure why.


	3. Wearing The Same Dress She Wore Yesterday....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, I am SO SORRY to make you guys wait so long. Forgive me?

Rose jumped to her feet, adjusting her pretty purple headband. She grabbed Vriska’s hand, tugging the smaller girl to her feet. “C’mon! You gotta come meet Roxy, she’s  awesome !” Vriska didn’t get a chance to argue, as Rose simply tugged her along behind, down the stairs. Vriska hid behind Rose as much as she could, staring at the woman in the door. She was tall, easily as tall as Miss Lalonde- but she wasn’t really imposing. Short, white-blond hair framed the woman’s face, her pink eyes gazing at Vriska. She wore a white t-shirt, with a picture of a pink, four eyed cat-head on it, and was in the process of putting down her backpack. She smelled heavily of alcohol, reminding Vriska of Slick, but she did, at least, seem very friendly. “Sup, Rosie? Who’s yer li’l friend, huh?” She crouched down, peering at Vriska. Rose smiled brightly. “This is Vriska Serket! She’s a pirate!” Rose let go of Vriska’s hand to hug the older woman.

 

Roxy eyed the little girl in front of her. Sure, she was drunk- but she had long since developed a tolerance for it. A pirate, she mused? That excuse may fly with children- but drunk though she was, Roxanne was a  Lalonde , and she damn well knew how to psychoanalyze people. She couldn’t think of any typical childhood activities that may result in a little girl losing an eye- and that, combined with the girl’s obvious fear of her, was more than enough to worry her. She spoke up, hoping to ease the kid’s fears. “A pirate, yeah? We gotta make you a bitching eyepatch then, yeah? With, like, glitter and shit. How do y’all like the sound of that, huh?” The little girl perked up, to Roxy’s satisfaction. “Really?” Her tiny tail wagged behind her, and Roxy grinned. “Fuck yeah! C’mon, kiddos.” She took the two little girl’s hands, leading them to the kitchen table. While they got settled in, she searched through her mother’s carefully organized cabinet, pulling out a sewing kit and some fabric. “What you you think, Vri-Ser? Soft inner lining?” She looked over her shoulder, grinning as she saw the little girl nod. “Soft it is!” She grabbed the supplies, moving to the table.

 

Vriska felt trapped as they worked on her new eyepatch, as if they were all watching her, waiting for her to slip up. But why would they do that? Rose and Dave liked her, or at least, they said they did. And they wouldn’t lie to her, would they? They wouldn’t. She was being dumb. She tried to relax, pointing out the fabric she wanted for her eyepatch- blue, like her blood. Roxy grinned at her. “Awesome. How about we use some sequins to make a spider on it?” Vriska grinned back, nodding eagerly, and reached across the table to grab the white sequins. Her sleeve fell down, but neither of them said anything, so she figured it hadn’t fallen far enough for anyone to notice.

 

Dirk watched his sister with the two girls, leaning against the wall. He wasn’t going to try psychoanalyzing the kid- wasn’t his thing. He was, however, taking note of her movements- where her movements were stiff, where she favored an arm- and, more importantly, where her sleeves fell down a little as she reached across the table for something, revealing a yellow handprint. Sure, that  could have been a parent grabbing a bit too hard out of surprise- but then again, maybe not. A small voice interrupted his thoughts, and he looked down. “Yo.” He nodded in greeting. “Yo, li’l man. What’s up?” Dave’s face was almost impassive- almost. He didn’t quite have it down, but that was alright- he was young, after all. Right now, Dirk could tell that the kid was worried- he was frowning slightly, his brow slightly furrowed. “You see it too, right, Dirk?” Dirk nodded, reaching down to ruffle his little brother’s hair. “Yeah. Don’t worry, li’l man. Mom’ll fix it. She can fix  everything .” Dirk was certain of that- of course his mom could fix everything, she was his mom. Dave evidently agreed, as he nodded, leaning against the wall with Dirk.

 

Miss Lalonde called down the stairs, “Hey, kiddos! I’m ordering pizza, what do you want on it?” In  return, she received a horde of voices, all talking over each other- Rose wanted olives, Dave wanted extra cheese, Dirk wanted pepperoni, and Roxy wanted spinach. The only one that didn’t voice a preference was Vriska- but she didn’t push it. If Rose’s suspicions were correct, after all, the girl had probably never had pizza. She turned her attention to the phone, ordering several pizzas instead of one- less arguing, that way.

 

By the time the pizza arrived, Vriska’s new eyepatch was complete. The  inside was soft black velvet, and another layer of cloth had been sewn onto the outside, matching Vriska’s blood color. Tiny sequins had been sewn onto the front, making a white spider with eight blue eyes, taking up most of the space on the front. Vriska loved it, hurrying to exchange her old, boring one for her new one. Her attention was then caught by the boxes- all six of them. Miss Lalonde divied up the pizza- one small box for Rose, Dave, and Vriska each, one medium box each for both of the teens, and a large one for her. Vriska peered into the box that was handed to her, curious. Inside was a small, meat lover’s pizza- Rose’s mom must have recalled that Trolls were primarily carnivores. Vriska claimed a chair on the very end of the table, sandwiched between Rose and Dave. The conversation washed over her, but she didn’t participate, eating quietly.

 

After supper, it was time for showers. Vriska was sent to get the first one with Rose, Roxy claiming that kids always got the first shower- leaving the adults to talk. Miss Lalonde looked from one to the other. “Report.” Dirk went first. “She’s got a bruise on her arm, and she’s scared of you, me, and Roxanne.” Roxy muttered under her breath, but then it was her turn to report. “Her claims of being a pirate are obviously just to cover up for what really made her lose her eye, but I’m damned if I know what really happened. Like Di-Stri said, she’s scared of us three- probably would be scared of anyone bigger than her. She kept looking to Lose before she did anything.” Miss Lalonde nodded- those matched her observations. “I told Rosie to look for bruises while they’re in the shower- that way, if something’s wrong, we’ll have proof.” The three settled in to wait, worrying.

 

Upstairs, Rose was getting her pajamas and some towels. She glanced to Vriska, pausing a minute. “Hey, Vriska, do you wanna borrow some of my jammies? I noticed that you forgot to pack yours.” Vriska blushed cerulean, nodding. There was no way, after all, that she was going to explain that she didn’t  have  pajamas. Rose smiled, and got down a set of PJ’s with a blue squiddle on them. “Here, you can wear these, Vriska.” Vriska nodded, taking them, and followed Rose down the hall to the bathroom.

 

The bathroom was  huge , with a shower big enough to hold at least three people, a separate, whirlpool bath tub, which was equally huge. Vriska stared, eyes wide. The luxury of it was astounding to her, and for a moment, she was too stunned to move- until, that is, she noticed Rose pulling her top off. “Um, shouldn’t we take turns?” Rose looked at her funny, confused. “No, this way we save hot water. ‘Sides, we’re both girls!” Rose continued removing her clothes, and Vriska felt her heart move into her throat. If she tried to talk her way out of it, she’d be found out- but if she didn’t, she’d still be found out. Shutting her eyes tight, and praying that the bruises had healed, she pulled her dress off over her head.

 

Unbeknownst to Vriska, Rose was watching, and what the little girl saw horrified her. Vriska’s back was covered in welts and bruises, as well as old scars from what could only be whippings. Rose looked to the hand-print shaped bruises on her friends arms and legs, tears coming to her eyes. “Oh my gosh, Vriska! W-wait here!” The little girl did the only thing she could think of in this situation- she ran for her mother.

 

Vriska froze in place, dress halfway off. Rose must have seen- but she sounded so shocked. It wasn’t that bad, really! It was only Droogs, after all- it could have been worse. Sure, it hurt, but it wasn’t like anything was broken, she could probably pass it off as a bad fall or something, couldn’t she?

 

Miss Lalonde was surprised to see her youngest daughter come running down stairs in nothing but her panties, crying. The little girl barreled into her, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around her. “Honey?” Rose lifted her head, looking up at her. “Mommy! It’s Vriska, she’s hurt real bad, you gotta come see!” The woman exchanged glances with her two eldest children, before running up the stairs with Rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hit a block on this chapter for a LONG time. But! It's written now, and things are starting to happen, so!


	4. She Hides The Bruises With Linen And Lace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, bad author making you wait a month. This was all written in one sitting pretty much- I finally figured out how to get past an issue I ran into, and it all went from there.  
> And yes, part of this chapter is me shamelessly applying cuddles to Vriska, because damnit, she needs it.  
> EDIT: I went back and rewrote a HUGE portion of this chapter, bumping the wordcount up by a thousand.

Rolinda Lalonde prided herself on being able to stay calm in nearly any situation. After all, she was a mother of four- she’d learned to stay calm, lest they become just as upset as her. However, though she would deny it to the end, her little Rosie was her favorite, and seeing her daughter in tears over whatever had happened to her friend- well, that worried Roli greatly. She followed Rose up the stairs quickly, worried about what she would find when they got to the bathroom.

When they arrived, the little troll girl had gotten her gown back on, looking nervous. “Vriska, it’s okay! Mommy will fix it- mommy will fix everything! You just gotta show her.” Vriska looked from Rose to Roli, biting her lip- but she didn’t argue, turning around and lifting up her gown so that the adult woman could see.

Rolinda froze in horror, unable to stop herself. The child had been beaten- badly. Gashes, scars, bruises- she covered her mouth with a hand, shut her eyes, and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Sounding much calmer than she felt, she told Rose, “Go tell your big brother to come here, Rosemary, and go bring me the wash cloths and rubbing alcohol from my bathroom. Quickly, please.” Rose nods, and runs off immediately, to Roli’s relief. Turning her attention to little Vriska again, frowning. The child had turned around, and was looking up at her, clearly terrified. Roli knelt down, and as soothingly as possible, said, “I am going to need to pick you up now. Is that okay?” Vriska hesitantly nodded, and Roli scooped her up just as Dirk arrives. His sunglasses are on now, so Rolinda couldn’t tell if he was staring- but she suspected that he was. “Dirk, please get the first aid kit and come to my room, after calling your uncle and telling him to come home.” Dirk nodded impassively, heading off to go get the requested items. Roli started to carry the tiny troll- god, but she was so  light \- to her room, nodding to Rose when she passed her so the girl would follow.

She gently set Vriska down on her bed. “Rose, please set the items I requested on the bed and leave the room.” The little girl started to protest- “But, mommy, I want to he-” “Rose. Please listen to me and do as I asked.” Rolinda felt bad about interrupting the child, but she didn’t want her to see this- and from the look on little Vriska’s face, she didn’t either. Rose hesitated, but set the items on the bed and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Rolinda looked back to Vriska, who was hugging herself. “Vriska, I’m going to need you to take your dress off so I can tend to your wounds, okay?” The little girl looked up to her in alarm. “Y-you don’t need to! It’s fine, really, I just fell!” Rolinda frowned at the rather transparent lie, but she understood why the child would lie and try to protect her abuser- it was, after all, rather common for abuse victims. “Vriska, you don’t need to protect him. You never have to go back there- ever.” Unsurprisingly, Vriska started to protest. “But- but- but he’s my owner! An’- an’ it’s not that bad, really! An’... I was bad, real bad! I didn’t tell him that school let out earlier here, so he had to punish me!” Rolinda reached over, papping her very gently. Inside, she burned with rage- beating the child  for not telling him when school let out- how  dare  he? Outwardly, though, Roli stayed calm, speaking softly and gently to the child. “Vriska, it may not seem ‘that bad’ to you, but I assure you, this is not how  any  child deserves to be treated, no matter how ‘bad’ that child may be. And it was certainly not your fault for not telling him that school here ends earlier.” Vriska frowned, considering this. “But we are getting off topic. I need you to remove your garments so I can clean out your injuries, and prevent them from getting infected. Alright?” Vriska hesitated, then nodded, right as Dirk entered the room. She tensed, but all Dirk did was set down the first aid kit- and a camera, bless his little soul, Rolinda had forgotten that they’d need photographic evidence to get her out of her owner’s ‘care’- and left again, shutting the door behind him. Vriska waited until he was gone, then pulled her gown off over her head, setting it to the side. “Alright, Vriska. I’m going to come around behind you to clean your wounds, okay?” And take a photograph, she silently added to herself, but she wouldn’t tell the child that. Vriska hesitated, but Rolinda carefully reached over and papped her gently, remembering from the research she had done when Rose asked if Vriska could come over that such an action would calm a troll. “It will sting a little, but I promise, I will be as gentle as physically possible. Alright?” Vriska hesitantly nodded, biting her lip as she sat up as straight as possible. Rolinda noted how the little girl flinched as she came around behind her, turning her head to keep her in view as long as possible before Rolinda was fully out of view. Rolinda stayed quiet, moving slowly so as to not startle Vriska, and picked up the camera, taking a few photos of the injuries for evidence. She set it aside afterwards, off on a different part of the bed as she picked up the alcohol. Roli poured it onto one of the wash clothes, and cleared her throat to get Vriska’s attention. “Vriska, I’m going to start cleaning your cuts out, alright? It’s going to sting, but I need you to hold still,” she gently told the little troll, making sure that she knew what she was doing before she started. She started at the top, carefully cleaning out a deep gash in Vriska’s left shoulder, one that went part way down the small girl’s arm. A regular knife, she noted, couldn’t have made this cut- it was too ragged, not a clean slice. A serrated blade, perhaps? Vriska gave a heart wrenching little whimper as Rolinda worked at the cut, cleaning away the dirt and pus, gripping her legs tightly as her tail flicked behind her, accidentally hitting Roli in the face. The child froze, cringing as if she expected to be hit, but Rolinda merely lifted her free hand, reaching to smooth the tiny girl’s hair. “I know, I know it hurts, honey,” she murmured, continuing to stroke the girl’s hair with one hand as she finished with that cut,  her washcloth tinted a dark, unpleasant color. Roli set it to the side, picking up another one to begin working on a welt across the child’s shoulders. It wasn’t as deep as the previous injury- it was wider, with deeper spots where other welts crossed it. Dark yellow bruising had formed around it, Rolinda noted, drawing the conclusion that it was made with a cane, as were the others in that area. She burned with rage- but she couldn’t show it, lest she frighten the tiny child, so instead she kept her touch gentle and even, murmuring soothing words to Vriska as she cleaned out the welts left by the cane. She had barely finished when Vriska suddenly pulled away, rubbing at her eyes as she climbed off the bed. The child turned to face Rolinda, her tail wrapping protectively around her waist. “Th-that’s enough, it’s fine n-now,” she claimed, voice shaking. Rolinda frowned, setting the washcloth to the side. “Vriska, I’m not finished. If I don’t get the cuts cleaned, they’ll get infected, and you’ll get very sick,” she gently told the child, deliberately understating it. Yes, the child would get very sick- but an infection left untreated could easily kill her. Vriska shook her head frantically, backing up a few steps. “N-no, it’s fine, I d-don’t need anymore help.” Rolinda made no move to stand, looking at Vriska. She needed to convince the child to let her continue cleaning the injuries, but how? She considered for a moment, before the answer hit her like a hammer. “Vriska, do you want Rose to be sad? She’s very worried about you, you know. She’ll be very upset if you get an infection because you wouldn’t let me clean out your cuts,” Rolinda told the child, keeping her voice soft and gentle. It was a dirty move, she knew, using Vriska’s friendship with Rose to get her to obey- but it was necessary if she wanted to help the child. Vriska froze, paling- she clearly hadn’t thought of that. “W-well, no, but...” She trailed off. “Vriska, please come here. It will be alright, I promise.” Vriska nodded hesitantly, climbing back up onto the bed and turning away from Rolinda again. She whimpered softly as Rolinda began cleaning out the wounds again, letting out a strangled cry of pain as she cleaned out a particularly nasty wound. Roli took a closer look at it when she saw something glinting. “Wait here a moment, Vriska.” Rolinda stood, going into the bathroom to retrieve her tweezers. When she returned, she warned Vriska, “There’s a solid in this cut, I’m going to have to get it out with the tweezers, okay?” At the child’s nod, she very carefully used the tweezers to extract the glinting object. Her blood ran cold when she saw what it was- a tiny piece of copper wire that had broken off in the wound. Keeping a firm grip on it with the tweezers, she reached to the side, grabbing the camera and taking a photo for evidence. Rolinda cursed out the troll’s soon-to-be-ex owner in her mind, as she returned to cleaning the cuts, her blood boiling. Eventually, she had the child’s back and arms clean- leaving her front and legs. “Vriska, I’m going to need to take a look at your legs and chest, okay?” At Vriska’s tiny nod, she came around in front of the child. She silently thanked the gods that there didn’t appear to be any cuts on the child’s chest- just some nasty bruises. Her legs, however... Rolinda didn’t want to think about how the child had gotten those wounds. She mechanically set about cleaning them, making mental note to get the girl to a professional at some point this weekend. She tried not to think about how she could count each of Vriska’s ribs, or the shape of some of the bruises on her legs. Vriska flinched away a few times, but Roli papped her gently to calm her each time. Twice more she had to use the tweezers, where little bits of thread had gotten into the wounds, but soon enough she was done.

Vriska started to get up again, but Rolinda touched her shoulder gently, pretending not to notice the cerulean streaks on the child’s cheek for the sake of the girl’s pride. “I still have to bandage them, Vriska.” The child frowned at her, “B-but... It’s fine now, r-really! You don’t n-need to do that, I c-can do it!” Vriska insisted, to Rolinda’s dismay. Rolinda shook her head gently. “Please let me, Vriska. There are some spots you won’t be able to reach.” Vriska bit her lip, then nodded hesitantly. Rolinda set the wash cloth to the side, picking up the first aid kid. She took out a tube of anti-bacterial ointment, carefully spreading it over the wounds. She knew that it was technically meant only for small cuts and scrapes- but she didn’t exactly have anything more appropriate to use. Vriska sniffled a little as Rolinda placed it on the cuts, gently dabbing it onto the one on her shoulder. There was no way the band-aids in the kit would cover the cuts- but for once, Roli had a reason to be grateful for her brother’s habit of sparring with Dirk, as it meant that she had rolls of gauze and ace bandages in the kit. “I’m going to start applying the bandages now, okay Vriska?” Vriska started to protest- then thought better of it, nodding slightly. “Good girl...” Rolinda said softly, folding some of the gauze into a pad and snipping it loose. She held it in place over the cut with one hand, using the other to wrap the bandages around and over it. She clipped it in place, taking some more gauze. This roll, she simply wrapped around the child’s chest so as to cover all of the wounds on her back, holding it in place once more as she repeated the process with the bandages. By the time Rolinda finished, the child was starting to look like a mummy. Vriska hiccuped a little, sniffling unhappily at the amount of bandages that it took to patch her up. Her lip quivered, and Rolinda gently reached over, gently and carefully drawing the child into a hug. Vriska tensed at first, then wrapped her arms around her, accepting the comfort offered as she cried softly. “There there... It’s going to be okay, little one... You’re safe now..” Rolinda rocked her gently, humming softly and petting her horns. “That’s a good girl, let it out...” The door clicked open softly, and Roli looked up to see her brother Dadrien peeking inside, looking to her for permission to enter.

At her nod, he came in, carrying a pair of pajamas that she was certain she’d never bought for Rose- considering that they were covered in spiders- and a spider plushy. Dirk must have told him more about Vriska’s situation than Rolinda had expected. She nudged the tiny troll to get her to look up. “Look Vriska, we’ve got presents for you.” Vriska lifted her head a little, looking very confused as Dadrien approached, setting the clothes and spider down on the bed. “Here, let’s get you dressed little one, alright?” Vriska hesitated. “Y-you don’t need to, I’m fine!” Rolinda simply hugged her, humming a little. “I know, but we want to.” Vriska seemed confused, but let Rolinda help her into the blue, spider decorated PJ’s. She gently dried the child’s eye, smiling. “And look what we’ve got here! A little friend, just for you.” Rolinda picked up the toy spider, which she now saw was white with eight blue little eyes, and handed it to the child. Vriska stared at it, then looked at Rolinda and Dadrien. “F-for me? Really?” Dadrien made a show of looking around the room. “Well, I certainly don’t see any other little spider girls, do you? So clearly, they must be yours.” This elicited a tiny giggles from little Vriska, who hugged the toy. She stifled a yawn, worn out from crying, and Rolinda picked her up. “Considering tonights events, I think we can skip bath time tonight, little one. Come on, let’s get you into bed, hmm?” Vriska nodded tiredly, and Rolinda carried her into Rose’s bedroom, where she saw her daughter was waiting, looking worried. “Bed time, Rose.” Rose looked relieved, seeing Vriska, and though she clearly had questions, she didn’t ask them. instead going to the second bed in her room and pulling back the covers so her mother could set Vriska in the bed. Roli tucked the child in, kissing her forehead, then looked to Rose, who was already in bed waiting for her to do the same for her. Rolinda smiled, tucking her daughter in and smoothing back her hair. “Goodnight my little angels. Pleasant dreams.” She turned the night-light on, then turned out the light and quietly shut the door behind her. She sincerely hoped the children would sleep- she knew that she wouldn’t be getting any sleep that night, as she would be up with Roxy, Dirk, and Dadrien planning how to get little Vriska away from her owner.


	5. The Teacher Wonders But She Doesn't Ask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Putting up two chapters at once, since this one is REALLY short. Just an interlude, really.

Jane Crocker- or Nanna, as she was known by her students- was no idiot. In fact, she fancied herself a bit of an ametuer detective- but that was beside the point. The point was, she wasn't stupid, and the behavior of her newest student, little Vriska Serket, worried her immensly. The girl always packed very scant lunches- if she packed a lunch at all, that is. The girl was so eager  to prove herself, and she really did try hard- but she clearly had never been taught her any of the things that she should have known. As well, while the child was friendly with the other children, she seemed- almost frightened of Jane and any other adults who came into the classroom. Alone, these wouldn't concern Jane, but all together, it painted a picture that Jane didn't like very much- but she didn't have proof yet. She looked at her phone, considering. She might not have proof... But she was a teacher, a required reporter, and she knew that Vriska was spending the weekend with the Lalonde's. If there was proof, Romi would find it- and if Jane reported her suspicions, that would just make Romi's report that much harder to ignore. A fire blazing in her blue eyes, Jane picked up the phone. No one was allowed to hurt her students.


	6. It's Hard To See The Pain Behind The Mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't yet, go back and read chapter five! I'm posting two chapters at once tonight.

Vriska slept deeper that night than she could recall ever sleeping- worn out by crying, and the events of the last few hours, she was too exhausted to even dream. Rose was curled up next to her, hugging a toy eldritch horror close to her chest, when a delicious scent wafted out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and into the girl's room. Scents of bacon, and eggs mixed with the smell of sausage, accompanied by the smells of chocolate and blueberries. Vriska's nose twitched as the smell reached her, and she stirred, blinking sleepily. She didn't recognize the scents, but they smelled delicious. Rose woke as her bedmate stirred, mumbling unhappily. "Sorry, Rose... D'you smell that, though? What is it?" Rose sat up, sniffing at the air, then jumped to her feet, now wide awake. "Awesome! Uncle Bro made breakfast, c'mon Vriska!" Vriska blinked in confusion as Rose grabbed her hand and bolted down the stairs, dragging Vriska with her.   
Dave and Roxy had beaten them to the dining room- though in Roxy's case, she didn't really seem to be awake, her head burried in her arms as she grumbled. The man Vriska had met the night before- who's name she couldn't really remember- was wearing a pink apron, with an... interesting creature on the front. It was an acid green, with a long, thick nose and an oddly detailed bottom. He chuckled, setting a steaming glass of a brown, bitter smelling liquid down next to the blond woman. "Uncle Bro, uncle bro!" Rose ran at him, wrapping her arms around him as she impacted. He grunted a little, but laughed, scooping up the little girl and placing her on his shoulders. "Good morning, little flower. Did you sleep well?" Rose nodded, bouncing. "Mmhm! I smell food, though! Feed me?" The man laughed again, setting her in the chair next to her twin. "Alright, alright, little locust." He now finally looked at Vriska. "Good morning, Vriska. Come on, sit down while I go get the food." Vriska inched forward, and claimed the seat next to Rose. He smiled, and went back into the kitchen, returning moments later with platters of bacon and eggs. Dirk came out with him, carrying platters of pancakes. "Bro can't make pancakes worth shit," he offered in way of explaination. "What do you girls want to drink?"   
Vriska blinked up at the teen, still half asleep. "Drink?" she asked in sleepy confusion. "Right, orange juice for you, then. Rosie?" Rose bounced. "Can I have what sis is drinking? Pleeeeeeeease?" He laughed, ruffling her hair. "'fraid not, kiddo. It'd stunt your growth." The blond child pouted, crossing her arms. "But Roxi's drinking it!" Rose pointed out indignantly. "Roxi's an adult, little sis. When you're an adult, you can have all the coffee you want." Rose considered this, then nodded, apparently satisfied. "'kay. Can I have chocolate milk, then?" Dirk nodded, and went off to get the drinks while 'Bro' started serving portions of food. It didn't escape Rose's notice that he served a larger portion of meat to Vriska, but she wasn't about to complain. After what she saw last night, Rose figured that her friend needed as much food as she could get.  
 The troll in question looked at the food, blinked sleepily, and poked it with a fork. Rose giggled. "Eat, silly!" Vriska gave her another sleepy blink, but obediently started eating. She woke up a bit as she ate, and started eating with more enthusiasm, her tail wagging. At some point, Romi came into the dining room, serving herself a plate and settling in to eat. "Good morning girls. Did you sleep well?" Vriska nodded, suddenly feeling shy, but Rose's mother just smiled. "Good, I'm glad. Vriska, I'll want to speak to you after breakfast." Panic filled Vriska, her eyes widening in fear. Scenarios ran through her mind- they'd called her owner and he'd told them what a useless beast she was, or they'd figured out that she was terrible, and didn't want her in their house, or- Bro's voice cut through Vriska's panic. "Vriska, kiddo, breath. Take deep breathes for me, baby." A gentle hand rubbed her horn, and Vriska found herself obeying despite her panic. "Good girl, that's a good girl. You're not in trouble Vriska." He continued to rub Vriska's horn until her heartbeat was back to normal. Vriska's cheeks flushed cerulean in embarrasment, and she wrapped her tail around herself, unable to look at him or Rose's mother. "S-sorry..." Vriska whispered weakly, feeling the stares of everyone in the room on her. And they were staring- but not for the reasons Vriska thought. Concern filled their gazes as they looked at her. "Are you alright now, kiddo?" Bro asked softly. Vriska gave a tiny nod. "C-can... Can we just finish breakfast, please?" Bro nodded, and the dining room went silent as seven people began to eat once more, the time drawing nearer to when Vriska would have to speak to Romi with every bite she took.


	7. Bearing The Burden Of A Secret Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so, SO sorry about the wait! This chapter has been an endless source of frustration- in the end, I had to decide to skip most of the conversation between Vriska and Rolinda.  
> We get the PoV of several new characters this chapter, and a certain pair will be getting some more attention in coming chapters.  
> As always, I eagerly await all comments. If you see any typos, or grammar errors, or you have any questions, let me know! Again, super sorry about the wait!

They weren’t getting rid of her. Vriska found it almost impossible to comprehend- but they 

weren’t. Miss Lalonde had been very clear on that- she was staying, as long as she wanted to. And she  never had to go back to Scratch. Never ever. In fact- in fact, miss Lalonde was going to be doing her best to make sure that he could never hurt  anyone ever again.

 

“But to do that, we need to find a do- a medical professional to examine you, and gather evidence, as well as make sure you’re healing properly,” Miss Lalonde explained, patiently. “If you want, Rose can be there with you. I know that it will be scary, but I promise, we don’t want to hurt you.” She watched as the child fidgeted unhappily, hugging her plushy spider to herself.

 

“But... But  why ?” Vriska finally asked, softly, plaintively. Why were they doing this for her? She was strong. She could protect herself, could fend for herself- couldn’t she? She’d done pretty well so far, she thought. Miss Lalonde sighed, shaking her head sadly. “Because no one deserves to be hurt, Vri-” “That’s not what I mean!” Vriska interrupted, eye wide with sudden anger and hurt. “Why do people only care  now ? It’s been goin’ on for  years an’  years  an’  years.  So why do people only wanna help  now ?” She cringed a little as she finished speaking, hugging her plushy tightly. But miss Lalonde didn’t look angry- rather, she just looked sad, shutting her eyes and sighing a little. “I don’t know, Vriska. But we care now, and we won’t let you be hurt again- I promise. For now, though- why don’t we get you cleaned up, and see if Rose doesn’t have some clothes that fit you?”

 

Vriska recognized the attempt to change the subject, but she didn’t protest. Truth be told, part of her was glad to end the uncomfortable conversation. She got to her feet, heading on up the stairs to the bathroom. Miss Lalonde followed, to Vriska’s confusion. “You’re comin’ too?” She asked, brow furrowed. Miss Lalonde smiled reassuringly. “I’ll be finding some clothes for you, that’s all.” The little girl nodded, accepting this explanation, and headed on into the bathroom.

 

Roli frowned, watching the child go, before shaking her head. Her initial examination hadn’t suggested abuse of that particular nature, but- well, Roli would ask whatever doctor they found to check for it, anyway, just to be safe.

 

 

* * *

 

Doctor English Domin Scratch was more than angry. He was furious, as he had been ever since his pet had failed to return home on Friday. However, he didn’t show it. As always, he seemed to be the perfect gentleman to those around him- it was only his employees that realized enough to be alarmed, and each of them had made their excuses, leaving for the evening. Well- almost all of them.

 

The Doctor stopped outside one room in his opulent home, fingers tapping on his cane. He knew Clover was behind that door- the addled teen rarely left that room. If he truly wanted to, English could take his anger out on the teenager- but then again, he mentally sneered, what was the fun in hurting someone who couldn’t even realize they were supposed to be afraid? He shook his head, stepping away from the room. No, Clover would be left alone for today, at least.

 

Elsewhere in the building, not too far away, a window opened and shut soundlessly, a figure walking away from the walls.

 

 

* * *

 

Calliope Cherub Scratch knew something was wrong. She’d known something was wrong for nearly seven years- ever since her Father had stopped visiting her at night. She was ashamed to admit it, but for those first few months, she didn’t worry too much about why he’d suddenly stopped- she was too relieved that the pain had ended. It hadn’t taken long, however, for the oddness to occur to her, and she started wondering why.

 

She still wasn’t allowed to leave her room, so she couldn’t investigate for herself- but she’d long since turned bribing her bully of a brother into an art form. Her supply of chocolate for that month had gotten Caliborn- Caleb for short- to reveal to her that their Father had acquired a newly hatched troll. He wasn’t allowed to leave his room either, technically- but he was much better at getting past the alarms, and had seen them bringing her in. She’d been horrified when she learned this, and soon had started convincing Snowball to do what she could to help the troll. With no other way to help, she’d ended up putting the troll out of her mind, going back to what she usually did- until she’d learned that her Father had stepped up the abuse a month ago. She’d started planning her escape then- and finally, it was ready.

 

The fifteen year old looked over her shoulder as she carefully slid the window open. If anyone Taking a deep breath, she lowered herself out the window and onto the grass below, reaching up and closing it behind her. With one last look at her home, the white haired teen made her way out into the world, her dark green skin blending into the black night.

 

From a few windows down, one floor up, a pair of red eyes watched the teen make her way from their home. Caleb touched a clawed hand to his own window, frowning as his twin looked back. “You’re going to get caught, you stupid bitch,” he muttered to himself. “You’re going to get caught, and I’m going to laugh.” He wouldn’t, he knew. For all his sister thought him nothing more than a bully, he truly did love her, in his own way. He just didn’t know how to show it. As his sister turned away again to leave, he sighed, opening his own window. He dropped to the ground, grunting in pain at the impact, and started after her. He wasn’t doing it for her sake, he told himself, but for his- he had no desire to be beaten to death be their bastard of a Father when he discovered that Cali had gone missing as well.

 

The fact that it put him into a better position to look after his twin, he told himself, was purely a coincidence. Nothing more.

 

 

* * *

 

An hour later, Vriska was clean, her black hair a mess. The child was dressed in one of Rose’s old dresses- it was too small for Rose, but Vriska was a small child. Too small, really, in Roli’s opinion. The little girl sat on the couch, listening attentively as Rose and Dave tried to teach her to play Settlers Of Catan. Every so often, Roli saw the child glance over in her direction, making sure that she was still there. Rolinda pretended not to notice, busily typing her discoveries into a word document so that they were properly recorded. In the other room, she knew, Dadrien was on the phone, talking to a mutual friend of theirs- the owner, or, more properly, adoptive mother, of Terezi Pyrope- Miss Latula ‘Redglare’ Pyrope- to find a doctor to treat Vriska. Latula, Rolinda knew, would be more than happy to handle the legal aspects of the case. They commonly joked that she was like a dragon in regards to children, fiercely protective of them- she was one of the many lawyers who helped ensure that trolls had the right to an education, after all, and she’d been known to come down on anyone harming a child fiercely- be that child troll or human. Rolinda knew that little Vriska’s case just might give Latula the leverage she needed to win more rights for trolls- just as she knew that Latula wouldn’t realize this at first. But even if Latula never realized it- others would. Vriska would become a symbol for those advocating troll emancipation, someone for them to cite as evidence.

 

Rolinda frowned slightly, pausing in her typing. It wouldn’t be easy for the girl, she knew- she’d be recognized on the street, total strangers would be coming up to her. Would an abused little girl like Vriska be able to handle that? Or would it be too much for the shy little girl- for indeed, she was shy. Roli saw her front of confidence for just that- a front. An act, so that no one would realize that something was very wrong. Even now, the troll was boldly telling a story of how she was such an awesome pirate, clearly she was simply the best. Rose and Dave, she was pleased to notice, weren’t buying it. Dave hadn’t seen the cuts and bruises- but Rose had, and Rolinda was certain the girl had told her brother, just as she told him everything. They didn’t call her on it, however, simply laughing and playing along, and so Roli let herself relax a little, returning to her work. Her youngest two would keep an eye on their friend while she was there with them, and the grown ups would keep an eye on them. It would work out in the end, of that much Rolinda was certain. In the mean time, however... A storm was brewing, and right in the center of it was one, abused little girl, in desperate need of love.


	8. Haitus Notice

I'm sorry guys. I really didn't want to end up doing this- I've been arguing with myself over it for months- but those months are precisely why I have to do this.

So allow me to start by saying this story is not dead. I _do_ intend to finish it- I have a lot planned for the Scratch twins, after all, and for some characters that we haven't even seen yet. I know exactly where I want this story to go. The problem is just... Getting there.

You see, I wrote myself into a corner. I don't know enough about court proceedings to write them properly- but I need to at least allude to them in order to take the story where I want to take it. That means I have to figure out the time scales, what particular rules I'd need to pay attention to- and of course figure out how the child protective laws would apply to Vriska.

So, as you can see, I have a lot I need to figure out. At this point, I've decided not to show the trial itself- but that still leaves a lot. So, I'm going to officially go on haitus, and take some time- hopefully not long- to figure out the details. I'm _also_ going to take this time to work on some other stories I've wanted to write, but have felt too guilty about this one to do so, and hopefully that'll kickstart my creative juices and help me figure out how to write the parts I'm stuck on for this story.

I'm sorry guys.


End file.
